The invention relates to a drier unit for drying printed products having at least one elongate supporting body and a heat source disposed on the latter.
Such drier units are in use in a different form, in particular as hot-air drier units and infrared drier units. They are assembled in each case from elements specific to the finished product.
The object of the present invention is to provide a drier unit, in which the supporting bodies may be provided either individually or arranged in groups closely adjacent to one another.
Said object is achieved according to the invention by a drier unit having the features indicated in claim 1.
Advantageous developments of the invention are indicated in sub-claims.
The development of the invention as claimed in claim 2 allows the formation, in longitudinal direction of the supporting body, of nozzle channels which have a greater axial dimension than corresponds to the wall thickness of the hollow section. The resultant effect is highly directional air jets, which emerge from the nozzle channels when compressed air is admitted into the interior of the hollow section.
The nozzle ribs moreover help to reinforce the box section.
The development of the invention as claimed in claim 3 allows an infrared radiator disposed between the two sets of nozzle channels to be cooled substantially symmetrically from both sides.
The development of the invention as claimed in claim 4 likewise achieves an additional stiffening of the hollow section. Furthermore, the guide walls, together with the inner surfaces of the hollow section adjacent to them, form a funnel-like structure, from which the nozzle channels emanate.
The development of the invention as claimed in claim 5 is advantageous in view of good strengthening with a low use of material and in view of an additionally improved funnel function.
The development of the invention as claimed in claim 6 also serves to strengthen the hollow section while providing it with a smooth outer periphery. In the region of the longitudinal reinforcing ribs there is moreover more substance, which facilitates and improves the fitting and guidance of additional components such as heating cartridges and the like.
In a drier unit as claimed in claim 7 clamping bolts or the like, by means of which end plates mounted onto the ends of the hollow section are braced with the hollow sections, may be guided in the interior of the hollow section. This is advantageous in view of a smooth outer periphery of the drier unit.
The development of the invention as claimed in claim 8 is advantageous in view of the fitting of additional components at the outside of the hollow bodies and in view of the concealed running of electric cable.
The development of the invention as claimed in claim 9 enables drying of the printed products with infrared rays.
According to claim 10 a drier unit is obtained, which delivers an air curtain, which is substantially constant over the length of the hollow sections and is heated up to a preset temperature immediately prior to the release into the environment. In said manner heat losses to the environment of the drier unit are kept low.
The development of the invention as claimed in claim 11 ensures precise positioning of the heating cartridge with a low outlay for equipment.
In said case, with the development of the invention as claimed in claim 12 it is guaranteed that the air sent through the heating cartridge is conveyed in a substantially laminar manner.
The development of the invention as claimed in claim 13 is advantageous in view of low manufacturing costs of the heating unit and in view of low throttling of the air.
In a drier unit as claimed in claim 14, a defective heating cartridge may be exchanged particularly easily and quickly.
The effect achieved by the development of the invention as claimed in claim 15 is that intimate contact is obtained between the air moving through the heating cartridge and the resistance wires. It is also possible, given the geometry indicated in claim 15, to accommodate a larger wire surface in a preset volume than with known solutions, in which the spiralled resistance wires extend in peripheral direction. Because of the, on the whole, greater volume available for receiving the resistance wire it is then possible (given the same heat output) for the resistance wire to be made slightly thicker so that the resistance wire material is heated less and the entire heating cartridge has a longer useful life.
The development of the invention as claimed in claim 16 allows the portions of the resistance wire, which are situated in adjacent chambers of the heating cartridge body which are sector-shaped in cross section, to be connected electrically to one another without the connecting wire portion projecting beyond the end face of the cartridge body.
The development of the invention as claimed in claim 17 is advantageous in view of the power connections to the heating cartridge being easy to establish.
According to claim 18, on the one hand a portion of the hollow sections in longitudinal direction is obtained and on the other hand via the end plates the various hollow sections of a drier unit may be mechanically combined into a unit.
The effect achieved by the development of the invention as claimed in claim 19 is that the end plates, which are used to combine the various hollow sections of a drier unit, simultaneously define part of a distribution channel, through which air is fed to the various hollow sections.
With the development of the invention as claimed in claim an intensive air supply from both ends of the supporting bodies is achieved.
There now follows a detailed description of embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawings. Said drawings show:
FIG. 1: a plan view of a drier unit, which dries printed products simultaneously with hot air and infrared rays;
FIG. 2: a side view of the drier unit shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3: an end view of the drier unit shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 viewed from the right in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4: an end view of a hollow section, which is used to realize the drier unit according to FIGS. 1 to 3;
FIG. 5: a transverse section through a drier rail in the region of a heating cartridge inserted into the rail;
FIG. 6: a longitudinal partial section through the end of a drier rail in the region of a heating cartridge retaining part inserted into the rail;
FIG. 7: a perspective view of a heating cartridge, which is part of a resistance heating unit of a drier unit according to FIGS. 1 to 6;
FIG. 8: a side view of an individual drier rail;
FIG. 9: a plan view of the drier rail according to FIG. 8; and
FIG. 10: an end view of the drier rail shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 viewed from the left in the drawing.